Dysart, Delvin, Co Westmeath
Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.
p. 117. “(Ogle/IFR) A house of two storeys over basement, which is concealed at the front but visible at the sides and back; built 1757 to the design of George Pentland for Nicholas Ogle, whose second wife was Elizabeth Lambart, of Beau Parc, County Meath, a house built 1755 and which, although on a much grander scale, may have influenced Dysart; since both houses have the same sequence of tripartite pedimented doorway, Venetian window and Diocletian window as their central feature. Since Dysart has only two storeys to Beau Parc’s three, the Diocletian window is accommodated in a pediment. The centre of the Venetian window is a niche, as at Bellinter, County Meath. One bay on either side of the centre, which breaks forward. Large curved end bows; pedimented gable in rear elevation.”
Detached three-bay two-storey over basement Palladian country house with pedimented single-bay breakfront (east) and full-height three-bay bow projections to side elevations (north and south), built c.1757. Pedimented two-bay breakfront to rear (west). Hipped natural slate roof with two rendered chimneystacks to centre. Roughcast lime rendered walls with projecting string course at ground floor level. Square-headed window openings with six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Central round-headed doorcase with timber panelled door and sidelights to entrance front (east) having cut limestone Doric surround with broken pediment and spoke fanlight over. Round-headed niche over to first floor flanked by square-headed windows with four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows in Venetian arrangement. Diocletian window over to pediment. Cut limestone block-and-start doorcase to rear (west). Round opening to pediment to rear (west). Set back from road in extensive mature grounds with remains of gate lodge and main gates (15401316) to the south.
This is one of the most perfect second generation Palladian houses in Ireland, designed on a truly three dimensional nature with all four elevations considered. The main features are all intact and in good order, including the use of the rear-set bow projections to the side elevations, the pattern book Doric doorcase and the consciously architectural design of the pedimented breakfront. The central arrangement of the pedimented doorcase with a Venetian window to first floor and a Diocletian window over is a typical feature of Palladian architecture in Ireland. This fine and sophisticated house was originally built for Nicholas Ogle to designs by either a George Pentland or Henry Pentland. It was later the home of a Nicholas Ogle in 1824 (Pigot’s Directory), and Robert Ogle in 1881 and 1894 (Slater’s Directory). It remains in the Ogle family to this day (2012).
Dysart ……..
It was in the 1660s that Nicholas Ogle ( the Ogle’s came from Northumberland) garnered about 440 acres in Westmeath . He worked for the revenue in Ireland and bought up the lands from Cromwellian soldiers in Col. Ingoldbys regiment who had received them in lieu of pay.The lands had belonged to an Edmund Nugent and Alderman Nugent of Drogheda .
The grandson of that Nicholas , another Nicholas, picked a beautiful spot upon the lands to build Dysart in 1757. It is just south west of Delvin and is absolutely a hidden gem in terms of Irish medium sized country houses.
It was designed by George Pentland, perhaps with his brother‘s aid.
It is 2 storey over basement , although because it was built into a slope , the basement is only visible from the sides and rear. It has the classical Palladian features of Doric door case ( MauriceCraig said Dublin style), beneath a Venetian window( with a niche centre), in turn beneath a rather large Diocletian window built into the front pediment. The sides of the house are particularly attractive with 2 storey , 3 bay bow ends , (not unlike nearby Belvedere house).
Interestingly a possible perceived lack of windows across the front expanse of the house was contrasted by plenty at the sides.
Dysart sits well back from the road, a kilometre I’d say , in some fine parklands. There is some commercial forestry also nowadays which only allows the merest glimpse of this beauty from the road.
It’s an absolute joy that the house remains in the original family’s hands.
There were some interesting characters amongst them.
Nicholas who built the house had an eldest son Robert ( of Whitehall in Dublin) who appears to have lost a fortune gambling ( family knowledge says in the Hellfire club ).
Robert left for London with his young son Nicholas in 1781 but never returned. A neighbour, Thomas Wood of Rosmead took the boy home.A letter written by Robert informed his son he would never see him again.
That young Nicholas married very early (17 or 18) but the marriage was annulled. It seems he lived life to the full and was a member of the ” Beggars Benison Hunt” which met at Castlepollard. It is apparently the only hunt ever to lose a full pack of dogs, drowned in a lake while in pursuit .
When he died he left his Whitehall estate to a niece, Elizabeth Vyse, but that resulted in a man being shot dead in the house in a row between the Vyses and a brother of Nicholas.
The Ogles, whilst never owning huge lands ( in 1876 there were only 186 acres with the house), showed financial acumen in retaining their estate. They also rented land from others too. Obviously marrying well must have helped as well. They were related by marriage to the Pakenhams of Tullynally, the Lambarts of Beauparc and the Coddingtons of Oldbridge among others. Among the Ogle men , Robert, Nicholas and Henry seem to have been constant names and today
Robert lives there with Anne his wife , and their son Henry. I’d like to thank them for their kind hospitality and permission to view and record their beautiful home .
Irish Historic Houses 